Krafton said the number of babies born to its employees rose by about twofold from a year earlier after it significantly expanded birth and childcare support, including paying up to 100 million won per child over a lifetime.

Krafton on Wednesday disclosed the results of a year of strengthened birth and childcare support that it has expanded since February last year to help address low birth rates. It said the programme focused on easing not only the financial difficulties employees face with childbirth and childcare, but also social challenges.

The company provides up to 100 million won per child over a lifetime to employees who gave birth on or after Jan. 1 last year and created a work environment that allows work-life balance. It extended childcare leave to up to two years and increased various non-cash support, including automating the hiring of replacement staff.

Since the programme was introduced, the number of babies born to Krafton employees in January to April this year was 46, about double the level in the same period last year (23) and in 2024 (21).

Krafton is also conducting research with Seoul National University's Population Policy Research Center to analyse the programme's practical effects. It is using in-depth surveys from multiple angles to analyse the programme's impact, changes in employee perceptions, and directions for improvement and expansion.

The research found that cash support such as birth and childcare incentives played a role in conveying the company's sincerity to employees over the social issue of low birth rates, rather than directly inducing childbirth. Of employees who took part in the survey, 83.4 percent said they felt sincerity in the company's family-friendly message.

By contrast, non-cash programmes had a direct effect on perceptions of childbirth. Support that adjusts working hours and underpins the child-rearing environment, including remote work for childcare, expanded childcare leave, leave for prenatal tests during a spouse's pregnancy, hiring replacement staff and psychological counselling support for returning employees, increased employees' work immersion. It also provided practical help in balancing work and family, leading to a positive perception of childbirth.

Choi Jae-geun (최재근), head of general operations at Krafton, said the research confirmed that companies can bring about practical change when they actively participate in solving social problems. He said Krafton will continue to set an example in practising corporate social responsibility through birth and childcare support programmes and to continuously foster a culture in which employees can take care of both work and family.